


revision notes

by justqueen



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:49:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justqueen/pseuds/justqueen
Summary: “If you come in,” his voice was low, his eyes smoldering. “You aren't leaving. You know that, right?”
Relationships: Skandar Keynes/Anna Popplewell
Kudos: 4





	revision notes

It was always fun when someone's parents weren't home.

This week it was Anna's and Skandar showed up like clockwork.

When the doorbell rang, persistently and impatiently, she was in the kitchen, getting tea and preparing herself for an unproductive afternoon of lounging in the living room with a _The Office_ rerun in the telly. She opened the door and Skandar breezed past her to the living room. She was so used to this now that she simply stepped aside as he traipsed inside. He put the box of pizza on the coffee table and trudged towards the kitchen.

“It took you two and a half minutes to answer the door.” He rummaged through her fridge for some Coke. “I could've died of hypothermia out there.”

“I highly doubt it.” she nudged him out of the way as she took out the kettle from the stove. She wouldn't need it now, anyway.

“Why?” he flashed her a crooked smile. “Because I'm hot?”

She flashed him a deadpan, uncaring look. “Because it's nineteen degrees and it's summer.”

“Why are you wearing my sweatshirt then?”

She looked down momentarily at the faded blue oversized sweatshirt with a ketchup stain in the front. If it hadn't been Skandar, she would have rushed to her room immediately to change but it was Skandar and it was fine. “Because, Sherlock, the thermostat is down. And this is my sweatshirt.”

“Your sweatshirt which you nicked from me on set in Prague.”

“If I remember correctly, you gave this to me.”

“You stole it from me.”

“Please,” she rolled her eyes, following him to her living room. “It looks more good on me than it does on you, anyway.”

“Point taken.”

Skandar helped her clear the coffee table which was covered in newspapers and magazines, remote controls for the TV and DVR, and a pile of revision notes from Anna's theater class.

Five hours later they were into a _Friends_ marathon, cans of Coke littering the coffee table and a single slice of pizza in the pizza box. Both of them had seen the show so many times that before long a string of ceaseless chatters and bickerings carried between scenes. They were sprawled out on her sofa, his legs stretched out in front of him -- one bare feet propped on the corner of the coffee table -- and her feet tucked beneath her. They were pressed together, shoulders to hips.

It was now dark outside but neither of them cared. Anna knew Skandar's parents must have known by now he was at her house if he hadn't told them. Mr. Keynes and Please-Dear-Call-Me-Zelfa always seemed to know a lot of things. And it was not as if Skandar spent a lot of time in other houses except hers, either.

“I still can't understand how Ross and Rachel stayed the way they were after all the mess they’ve been through.” Anna reached for the last slice of pizza and tore it in half, giving Skandar the part with the crust. She knew he loved crusts. “It’s like nothing even happened.”

“Hello?” Skandar raised his eyebrows. “Have you forgotten the episode where they went into that ski trip?”

“I mean,” she continued as if he hadn't spoken at all. “They dated, had sex, then he cheated on her, then the messy break-up -- and they're still friends?” 

“Technically,” Skandar said in between chews. “They were on a break when he slept with another girl so it’s not actually cheating...”

Anna shot him a look but he didn’t see it. He was reaching for his can of Coke on the coffee table and tossed back the remaining contents.

“But it’s a show.” he continued, returning to his slumped position in the couch where he was pressed against her side. “Anything can happen in a show.”

“You’re right.” she agreed. “Sitcoms. Absolute bollocks, the lot of them.”

Intrigued, Skandar turned his head to look at her. She was slumped to his side even more now. He looked like he didn't mind, though. “Hang on,” his eyes narrowed at her. “Are you thinking of dating Will?”

“What?!” She hastily turned to face him, eyes wide in shock and horror.

“Or Ben?”

“Shut up.” she leaned away from him slightly then smacked him on the shoulder. “Of course not!”

“Oi!” He massaged the offended body part. “No need to be so violent.”

“Sorry.” She winced, immediately running her hand up and down his arm in attempted comfort.

“Why the sudden curiosity, then?” He didn't turn his gaze back to the telly.

“Because,” she leaned back against him, bringing her left knee up to her chest and draped both of her arms around it. “It’s impossible. That kind of something is bound to ruin a friendship forever.”

“Well, they’ve been close friends before they became a couple.” He turned his face back to the telly. Ross was supporting injured Rachel back to her flat. “Maybe because of that, they were able to move past all the mess.”

“Or maybe it’s nothing more than just a television fairytale.” her voice was low and more bitter than they both expected.

He turned his gaze back to Anna. She looked back at him. She didn't remember the last time she was this serious with him so she was aware he wasn't used to it. So she wasn't at all surprised when he mischievously grinned at her. “So you're really not thinking about dating Will?”

Her face immediately twisted up and she shoved him. “I swear, Skandar Amin Ca--”

“What did I say about never bringing up my full name again?”

“Stop talking then!”

“And no need to look so disgusted with the question, either.” He continued, ignoring her. “He's a good looking chap.” He smiled deviously at her, wiggling his eyebrows.

“What's wrong with you? He's my best friend! My surrogate brother!”

“And what am I?” He was fully facing her now, his whole body turned her way. “Chocolate pudding?”

“Oh, no. You're too annoying to be my brother, Skandar Amin Casper Keynes.” She blurted out before she could stop herself, her own crooked grin threatening to crack her face in two.

She was red-faced under the dim light shining from the kitchen. His brown eyes were gleaming in the night, dark and deep and endless. The light from the telly made a shadow on his jaw and she thought she never looked more attractive. His hand was on her knee and her palm was resting on his arm.

She wasn’t sure who leaned in first but when her synapses started firing again, Skandar was kissing her. It was tentative at first; his mouth warm, sweet, and slow against hers. But then she pulled him closer, her grip suddenly iron-like on his arm. His kisses then became insistent, his fingers sliding into her hair, his hand gripping tight on her waist. When she ran her tongue against his lip, he groaned lowly, his mouth opening, and then his own tongue was sliding eagerly against hers.

She shifted in the couch and tugged him down on top her, their lips never breaking contact. He groaned again and she felt his hand lifting her sweatshirt out of the way, running his palm against the pale skin under. His fingers were warm and she moaned. She fumbled for the hem of his black shirt and skimmed her nails up his back, bringing herself closer although there was nowhere else to go. She wanted him closer, needed him closer. She wanted his hands everywhere.

Groaning, she reached for the belt of his pants, tugging the waistband, undoing the clasp. His hips knocked into hers and she felt the low, rough sound he made all the way to her stomach. He broke free from her lips and suddenly he was leaving open-mouthed kisses on her neck, biting, sucking, burning liquid fire, and she arched into him as his fingers slid down to the front of her pants, gasping.

Suddenly, the sound of the opening sequence of the show jolted them into reality. They broke apart, suddenly, and surged to their feet at the same time. She was clumsier than he had ever seen her before and he was as gawky. His lips was wet and swollen from their kiss and color was creeping up to his neck and ears. His hair was messier than ever and his dark eyes were wide. His belt was undone and she was aware of her own unbuttoned pants.

“I need to --” he ran his hands through his dark hair, making it stick up even more. “I have this thing I gotta -- yeah --”

He grabbed his shoes and walked out before she could move or say anything. She stood there resolute, hearing him swear under his breath before he disappeared and slammed her front door close behind him.

She sat down on the couch and buried her face in her hands. She was vaguely aware of Phoebe singing in the telly.

“Oh, bloody hell.”

“Bloody hell.” Skandar sat on the steps of her front porch, tugging his shoes on and tying the laces roughly. He heard the faint sound of her television through the walls and he cursed again.

His body shook with adrenaline and he felt hot and cold at the same time. His fingers twitched and trembled as he tugged at his hair.

He looked back at her front door, fighting the urge to walk back in and push her up her bedroom and pull that stolen sweatshirt off of her because he knew it would ruin this familial ties between them. Although he knew she wanted the same thing, had known it the second he felt her fingers tugging the clasp of his belt loose, he couldn't do that to them.

Because she was right. That kind of something is bound to ruin a friendship forever. And they were more than just friends. They were so much more than just friends -- they’re one half of a surrogate family of four.

Skandar rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms, gritting his teeth.

He felt out of control. His blood was racing in his veins. He could still taste the Coke and pizza in her mouth, could still feel the warmth of her skin, could still hear her pants and gasps against his ear. Could still remember that it was Anna, his bestfriend, his neighbour, the girl who gave him that pink sparkly thong for his fourteenth birthday, and she was letting him kiss her like that, touch her like that.

He could remember the shock in her face as the gravity of the situation hits them like a slap in the face.

Continuing to swear under his breath, he lifted himself heavily off the steps and trudged down the porch towards his house. There was a bottle of rum stashed in Soumaya's wardrobe. Maybe he'd take a long shower and drink himself to sleep.

***

Mark wrapped up the meeting with the assignment of who should go with whom during the numerous press interviews lined up for the next few weeks. A piece of paper was beside his plate in front of him.

“Ben, you're the title character so it'd make the most sense if you'd do most of your interviews alone.”

“No problem.” Ben grinned at the producer, giving him a thumbs up. “I won't be babysitting any of these kids so it'll be great.”

“I'm only five years younger than you, Barnes.” Will said dryly, flicking a strand of pasta at Ben across the table.

“Exactly. _Kids_.”

“But there's a _Rachael Ray_ interview that we think you should do with Will and Anna.”

Ben almost choked on his orange juice. “What? Why?”

“Because the three of you have excellent chemistry and the people at _Rachael Ray_ asked for you.”

“What are Skandar and I, grilled cheese sandwich?” Georgie asked from her seat between Anna and Will, picking at her plate of green food. She shot Skandar a look. He was between Mark and Ben across the table.

“ _Excellent chemistry?_ ” Ben echoed in disbelief.

“Oh, that's great,” Will grinned widely. “Anna and I are going to _destroy_ you in that interview.”

“No one's destroying anyone at the interview,” Andrew said from the end of the table. “Skandar has GCSE on that day and you, Georgie, have a long-delayed appointment with your dentist so that's why you two aren't coming. Go on, Mark.”

“And then Will, you are going to be with Georgie during most of the press interviews. Please stop her from giving away any spoilers.”

“Hey! I survived press tours for _Wardrobe_ without spoiling it.” Georgie commented before giving Will a high five. “And I was so much younger then.”

“That you did, Georgie. But you need to have adult supervision or else we'll get in trouble.”

“I know, I know.”

“So that leaves Skandar and Anna together.” Mark concluded.

Skandar and Anna glanced briefly at one another before looking away quickly. She downed her glass of orange juice then wiped her napkin across her lips. He gobbled the last of his carbonara before reaching for a slice of garlic bread in the middle of the table.

“These two are gonna bore the press to death.” Will said, nudging Georgie beside him before smirking at Anna then at Skandar.

“Rest assured, _I_ won't.” Skandar remarked before taking a sip from his glass of water.

Anna raised her eyebrows at him, hazel blue eyes glinting. “Oh, really? Gonna show them the Blonde Cam?”

“Nah. I'll just tell them about your seventeen-take kiss scene.”

“First of all, that was all your fault --”

“Oi! I wasn't the one _blushing_ like a girl --”

“I _am_ a girl!”

“I literally can imagine these two screaming at each other through their bedroom windows at home.” Ben said to Will and Georgie, a little bit too loudly. Mark laughed and Andrew snorted behind his cup of coffee.

Skandar and Anna froze.

“Why can't I do the interviews with Georgie?” Skandar asked Mark. “I'm old enough to chaperone her. And I could easily put my hand over her mouth the second she'll start giving away any spoilers.”

“I'm afraid the both of you are gonna lose the press with your inside jokes.” Mark replied calmly before Georgie could react to the word _chaperone_ , wrapping the piece of paper into a roll in his hand. “Besides, the press tour will last until June so there may or may not be shuffles. Until then, you’re stuck with Anna.”

Skandar nodded once. Anna didn’t react at all.

 _Interesting_ , Mark thought as he watched the two actors silently while the remaining three and Andrew chattered ceaselessly across the table. He noted how Anna was too engrossed in pouring water into her empty glass and how Skandar looked at her briefly with an indescribable expression before gulping down his orange juice.

 _Very interesting_ , the producer then took off his glasses and took a sip from his cup of coffee.

*

His legs were stretched out in front of him as he curled against his chair, hunching. His knees were knocking impatiently together and his fingers were inches from hers, nervously tapping against the wooden arm rest.

She sat as primly as she could, back straightened. She ran a hand consciously through her hair while the other was fiddling her necklace.

It was the start of their press tour in London. Their interview schedules weren’t packed as of yet and both have their afternoons free, as this was only the first leg of their tour and the movie won't premiere until next week. But the nervous butterflies in their stomachs were already present.

“I can't believe we're doing this again,” he said beside her, catching a glimpse of the line of interviewers outside before the security closed the door to their room.

“I know,” she agreed. “It seemed like only yesterday that we're doing _Wardrobe_.”

“Yeah. I remember Tilda giving me pointers in between interviews on how to talk about the movie without really talking about the movie.” He ran a hand against the back of his neck, tilting his head sideways in that hyper endearing way of his.

“Now you have me instead.” she remarked, giving him a glance. “I hope you're not bummed.”

Their first interviewer of the day walked in, giving them both a wide smile. Anna looked up and gave the spectacled man a smile of her own.

Skandar's fingers brushed her arm and her attention snapped back to his. His eyes were deep and dark and serious.

“Not a chance.” he said softly.

Lately, it felt like Skandar could always make her go speechless, and not for lack of trying.

Hours and hours after of being neck deep in answering the same questions over and over again that they’d sometimes find themselves finishing each other's sentences, they were finally able to stretch in place as the crew packed up the cameras and lights in the room.

She stumbled slightly for a moment as they head towards the door, her legs still waiting for life to return to them. He reached out and placed a hand on the small of her back, steadying her. Anna felt her heart start to race.

“Thanks.” she said, putting on a smile.

“Careful,” his familiar devious smile was in place. “Or people would think you're a clumsy damsel in distress.”

"I'll stick an arrow to whoever will think that.”

He laughed. “I don't doubt it.”

They walked down the hall, him craning his head for Will, Georgie, and Ben, hands shoved deep into the pocket of his navy blue hoodie and her fiddling with the cuffs of her long-sleeved blouse.

“Are we ever gonna talk about it?” she asked suddenly, gaze still fixed on her wrists.

She felt his gaze on the side of her face. She heard his breath hitching, not expecting her to directly broach a topic left unsaid for almost three weeks for fear of the aftereffects. She hadn't expected it either, to be honest.

They halted momentarily in their steps.

“Yeah, but...” he trailed off. His dark eyes fixed on hers for a few heartbeats before darting towards the crew walking past them, carrying cameras and lights. “Rain check?”

She heard Georgie's voice calling her and Skandar's name and she turned her gaze directly ahead and found her waving at them and beckoning them to her and Will.

“Rain check.” she agreed, glancing momentarily back at him.

He nodded.

Later, when the five of them, together with their handlers and Georgie's mom, crowded inside the lift on their way down to meet with Andrew for lunch in the restaurant across the street, Anna's fingers brushed against Skandar's and she bit her lip.

Anna was standing by her car and rummaging in her purse frantically for her missing car keys. She was swearing under her breath, racking her brains for places she might have left the keys in while considering calling her handler for a ride home, when Skandar turned up beside her, holding a hand up. Her car keys dangled from his fingers.

“Oh, thanks.” She breathed a sigh of relief then took the keys from him. “I thought I was screwed.”

“You left it in the restaurant.” She caught him raising his eyebrows at her lightning speed movements. “You're in a hurry,” he said.

“I have this rehearsal for a school play,” she said, opening her car door. She remembered him telling his handler in the restaurant to go and catch her daughter's dance recital and that he could manage finding his way home just fine. Without giving it a second thought, despite the fact she'd be alone with him for nearly an hour if he'd say yes, she added, “Do you want a ride? I left my script at home.”

She could see him hesitating at first, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie just like he did back in the hallway.

“That'd be great,” he answered, flashing her a smile.

“Brilliant.” She returned his smile then slid in to the driver's seat. She reached over to the passenger door and unlocked it before strapping in her seatbelt. A few seconds later, Skandar slid inside.

“Anyway,” he said as he fumbled for his seatbelt. “Do you have plans for tonight? My parents are out and there's a bottle of rum waiting to be opened.”

“Oh,” She fiddled with her keys for a moment before sticking it to the dashboard. “I can't. Rehearsal. This school play is gonna make or break my degree.” His expression faltered slightly and her heart thudded slightly in her chest. “Next time? After the premiere, maybe? I'll bring the pizza.”

He gave her that damn crooked smile of his. “Deal.”

*

Three hours into the karaoke and Anna was buzzing. She was sandwiched between Ben and Andrew, while Peter and Georgie were singing ‘Beauty and the Beast’ on one mic and Will and Skandar were flipping through the song book and queuing songs for the rest of them to sing. Warwick and Tilda had long since retired to their hotel rooms.

They were in Will's hotel room, post after party, and trying to get all the surrealism and all the screaming earlier in the premiere out of their heads. Thankfully, the hotel agreed to install a karaoke machine in Will's room and so there they were.

The house rules were simple: when it’s your turn, there’s no backing out unless you don’t know the song. Unfortunately, all of the songs were familiar so none of them had been able to pass up. Ben and Anna had already done ‘Someday We'll Know’ together, after which Will gave her an inscrutable look. Anna had then drank a lot of rum to forget that look. Andrew had done a moving rendition of ‘When Love and Hate Collide’ which Anna knew he never would have done if he hadn't drank a whole bottle of wine during the actual after party. Their director was in disbelief of the whole craziness of the New York premiere as they were.

Peter and Georgie finished their song and the room applauded. Georgie passed the wireless microphone to Anna, marking her fifth song for the night. She expected an Alanis Morissette one or maybe even Billie Myers, but when she looked up at the queue section in the telly, Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron's ‘You Are The Music In Me’ showed next.

“Brilliant!” she yelled over the sound of the machine revealing Peter and Georgie's score. “I'll sing this duet alone, shall I?”

“I'll sing with you.” Skandar said loudly and it rang all over the room because the machine went quiet as the sound faded out in transition to the next song.

The rest cheered loudly. It was no secret that Skandar and Anna were the music minded ones of the gang. They both knew how to play the piano and guitar, though both preferred to play them without an audience (except that one time during _Prince Caspian_ ’s wrap party when they were under extreme duress from Andrew and Mark so they had no other choice.) And they both could actually _sing_.

Through her buzzed vision, Anna saw Skandar walking over to her, accepting the other wireless microphone Andrew thrusted to him. He was red-faced and grinning, eyes wide with all the rum she knew he had consumed. She grinned back.

They sang the first verse softly together, looking at the screen for the lyrics although Anna knew they both didn't need it. When the lyric, “Hm, you're pulling me,” came she felt Skandar's gaze on her. When she turned to face him, the chorus came on and they sang it together, face to face. Georgie and Ben started clapping along with the rhythm, and the rest of the room joined. And then they were belting out the song to each other in a perfect duet, no longer looking at the screen but at each other.

When Skandar held out his hand, she took it without hesitation. He spun her around (once or twice or fifty times Anna couldn't recall) as they sang the rest of the song together, smiling and lost in the musical moment. By the last chorus, the rest of the room was singing along, loud and boisterous.

When the last “You are the music in me” came up, Mark shushed the rest of the room as the duo sang the last lyric, faces inches from each other.

As the song faded out and the end card came up, the room applauded. Ben and Will were whistling loudly as Skandar and Anna took a sarcastic, sweeping bow.

The next song came on -- Backstreet's Boys’ ‘The Shape of my Heart’ -- and Will stood up to grab the mic from Skandar while Anna tossed hers to Ben.

Skandar and Anna made their way to the seats, a bunch of cushions littering the floor, and plopped down, breaths heaving.

He rubbed his still red face with his hand. “That's the worst thing I've ever done.”

She tilted her head at him, mouth opening to comment on that but he interrupted him.

“I know what you're going to say. No, I didn't mean singing with you was the worst thing I've ever done. I meant, singing with an audience was the worst thing I've ever done.” He casually placed a hand on her thigh and her breath heaved even more. She could feel it, warm and heavy through her sweat pants. Cheeks burning, she looked around, hoping no one had their attention on them and hoping that the room was dark enough to hide her blush if there was indeed someone who had their attention on them.

“Really?” she tried to sound like the smart-mouthed Anna he knew. “Worse than surfing in New Zealand and forgetting to put sunscreen on the back of your legs?”

“I had this feeling you hid the said sunscreen before I could remember.”

Anna ran her fingers against his wrist. “Oh? And why would you feel that?”

His hand tighten around her leg. “Because I know you, Anna.”

Will was singing, “Touch me now, don't bother if every second it makes me weaker,” and every nerve ending of Anna's skin that Skandar was touching were suddenly firing up, wild and electrifying.

“I need a drink.” she said, clearing her throat, looking away from his dark gaze and towards the table beside the machine. She didn't even bother to ask if he wanted one. She just got up and left.

At the table, Mark sidled up to her. “So,” he said, grabbing a bottle of wine and twisting the cork off. “That duet was intense.”

“Yeah,” she replied, reaching for the bottle of rum. “We didn't know we had it in us.”

“Really? I wonder what else you two have inside of you.” He half-filled his glass with red wine.

Anna, who was pulling a drink from her glass, almost choked. “What?”

Mark merely chuckled then took a sip from his glass. He gestured over to Skandar on the floor who was singing along with the rest of the room to Ben's ‘Semi-Charmed Life’ and grinning. “I'm just saying,” Mark said. “Skandar’s grown into a quite handsome young man. And you two were always very close. And neighbours.”

Anna's muscles tensed momentarily. Then she replied, as uncaring as she could, “I suppose. What has that got to do with anything?”

The producer fixed his gaze at her, smirking knowingly. And just when Anna thought he was probably seeing straight through her to all her secrets, he shook his head. “Nothing. You kids enjoy yourselves.”

Mark returned to the floor, joining Andrew and Peter, leaving Anna dazed by the table and wondering whether their producer had the ability to see through all the people he met or maybe it was just her.

And then Ben was singing, “When I'm with you, I feel like I could die and that would be alright,” and Skandar looked right at Anna.

She took a long drink of her rum in the wake of that look.

*

If the New York premiere was crazy, the UK premiere was insane.

In the boat reception, when they were cruising along the Thames and they caught sight of the thousands and thousands of people lining and waving at them from other boats and from land, Anna had to steady herself on the rails.

“Isn't this absolutely mental?” Georgie said to her, as a photographer asked them for a picture.

“It's twisted,” Anna agreed, pulling Georgie closer to her as the photographer's camera flashed once again.

“Just wait 'till the Arena.” Andrew sidled up to them, and smiled at the camera. “It's gonna blow your mind away.”

“What?” Georgie look up at their director on her other side. "Even more than New York?”

Andrew merely grinned. “We're gonna need more than a karaoke machine in Will's hotel room tonight.”

And then Anna was left alone momentarily and, immediately, her nervousness returned as the endless number of people called and whistled and waved from land a few distance on her right. She anxiously twisted the silver ring on her left hand.

“ _Wardrobe_ wasn't this insane.” Skandar came up behind her. She turned to him and he was so close she could count the freckles dotting his nose and cheeks.

“I see you're no longer wearing sweatshirt and sneakers?” she smirked, recalling his outfit in New York.

“Hey! A lot of people liked that.”

“And I wonder if you liked the scolding after?”

He fumbled for his cuffs and as he did so, his fingers brushed her arm. “I didn't. That's why I'm wearing this ridiculous fashion statement.”

She laughed. “It's actually not that bad.”

They heard a camera flash beside them.

Skandar immediately straightened and looped a hand around her waist, pulling her beside him, and smiled at the camera. She flashed her own smile at the photographer, too. And then Will and Georgie was sidling up to them to get in the picture and Anna found herself inching closer to Skandar.

“Your dress is actually not that bad, too.” he whispered to her.

She found herself grinning even more at the camera.

The screaming at the Arena was insanely deafening that Anna had to grip both Skandar and Will's arm as they got up the stage.

When the hostess sidled to her and Skandar to ask her questions, Anna barely heard her over the screaming. Skandar was unnerved, too, and she could see the slight panic appear in his eyes for about three seconds when the hostess held out her mic to him for his answer.

When it was Anna's turn, she tried to zone out the countless flashes from the crowd of ten thousand people and focused instead on the hostess' face. Her answer was more calm than she had expected.

When they were finally ushered down the stage towards their seats and the Arena's lights dimmed for the start of the screening, Skandar held out his hand for her at the steps. Smiling gratefully, she took his hand. When she was on level ground with him, he said to her ear: “ _Wardrobe_ definitely wasn’t this insane.”

She grinned teasingly at him. “Looking forward for _Dawn Treader_ yet?”

He grimaced. “Don't remind me.”

***

Skandar's hand was pressed to Anna's thigh throughout the ride back to the hotel in Paris.

At first, she thought it was an accident. The five of them were literally crammed inside the limo with no room left to even stretch. Or maybe it was only her rum-fueled imagination, flying wildly because Skandar’s legs were pressed against hers and he was warm beside her. But then he leaned towards her, kissing her neck.

The back of her neck rose and she looked at him. His face was inches from hers and she could smell the rum in his breath. He had this look she wasn't used to seeing. He had that during their arrival at the theater, when he was sitting beside her in that vintage blue-green car. He also had that on the stage, when he was pressed against her side and confetti rained down on them.

His fingers continued to burn liquid fire through her dress and Anna was uncomfortably aware of Will pressed up against her other side and Ben and Georgie doing some sort of clapping game on Will's other side. She hitched a breath, looked away from his dark burning gaze, took hold of his wrist, and pushed his hand away.

Skandar ignored her grip. He leaned close again and pressed another kiss to her neck. Then another. And she could feel her face and neck flush, her hand fisted on the cuffs of his coat.

“You look so, _so_ beautiful.” his voice was low and rough and foreign to her. And then his lips were on her neck again.

“Skandar, please.” she breathed, trying to find strength to regain control. But when she looked at him once again, alluring smile dancing across his lips, dark gaze gleaming with something that sent a hot coiling sensation in her lower belly, she didn't know why she spoke up at all.

And when his hand tightened on her leg, she didn't push it away.

The five of them took the lift together to their hotel rooms. And the moment Georgie, Will, and Ben disappeared into their separate hotel rooms, Skandar closed the scant distance between him and Anna, kissing her hungrily and impatiently that his lips caught against hers and their teeth clashed together.

She swore under her breath, her heels wobbling beneath her as she stumbled backward at the unexpected impact of his body against hers. But he looped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to him. He pushed her against the wall, his fingers trailing against her bare arms and shoulders and neck. She moaned against his kisses, and then her fingers were slipping under his coat, scraping against his clothed back, finding purchase, pulling him close.

“ _Skandar_ ,” she gasped as she felt his urgent lips against her neck.

He didn't remember her fumbling for her keycard, didn't remember opening the door, didn't remember stumbling through the room, only that he was sure they never broke apart. She hurriedly pushed his coat off his shoulders and undid his tie as he impatiently took off the necklace around her neck (she would be in trouble if they so much as scratch the thing). Her dress was mussed beneath them as he hovered above her on the bed. He lifted up her dress and ran his palm against the outside of her thighs as he sucked on her neck. She groaned, and he could feel it to the pit of his stomach. Her fingers started to undo the buttons of his shirt and he brought his mouth back to hers, nipping against her lips.

But when his fingers found the zipper of her dress, she was suddenly pulling back from him, her hands steadying against his shoulders.

It was like her living room all over again. Although, this time it took them quite a while to realize what they had been doing. His shirt was half-open, one button missing entirely, and his shirttails were untucked. Her dress was bunched up between them, an inch away from an indecent exposure. His knee was pressed between her thighs and there was a visible tent in his trousers. Her makeup was smudged and both of their faces were paler than ever. Through their clothes, they could feel each other's heartbeats, abnormally racing.

All the rum-fueled haze cleared away and both of their eyes flew wide.

Without another word, Skandar fled out of there, grabbing his coat and shoes along the way. And once again, he was slamming a door behind him with her on the other side. He barreled into his hotel room and cursed hard under his breath until morning came.

In the room next to his, Anna was doing the same thing.

The next day, during breakfast, they sat as far away from each other as possible, neither engaging in mindless chatter with the rest of the gang. When the five of them started lugging their stuff out of their hotel rooms, impatient to go back home to London, they made certain neither of them was in the hallway before going outside.

There was one moment, though, when she lingered too long in her door, trying to lock it when he emerged from his hotel room.

“Oh,” she said, and they looked at each other for a long moment.

He rocked on his heels for about three seconds before turning his attention to his door, locking it. “Can't believe all of this is finally over,” he said.

She laughed, the sound brittle. “Not all. Will and I still have that premiere in Germany and Slovenia. And in Spain with Ben.”

“Right.”

The silence was long and deafening, the only sound being Georgie's voice telling Will to hurry up.

“I--” he swallowed, and he looked a little chagrin. “Last night -- I was drunk --”

“We were drunk.” She remembered the way she pulled his shirt up, fingers itching to get against his skin, to feel him touch her. She remembered how out of control she was and how she didn't mind it one bit.

“Anna. This -- we need to --” he trailed off, but she knew what he was going to say, what he was going to ask.

But she couldn't. Not yet. Not when he looked so frustrated like that. Not when he was wrapping his hand around his keycard so tight that she was sure he'd break it. Not when she was hyper aware of everything after consuming four cups of coffee because she didn't have any sleep the night before, thinking how she had screwed up again, upsetting the balance she had been trying to regain after that afternoon in her living room; thinking how she had wanted so bad to follow him in his hotel room and tear off that half-open shirt off of him and never stop.

And then Will was calling their names. Her eyes tore from his to the end of the hallway where Will was tapping his foot impatiently.

“Rain check.” It wasn’t a question this time, unlike his response in that hallway. She was afraid of looking back and to see that frustrated look in his face again but she looked back anyway.

She thought he was gonna shake her shoulders and make her see sense. For a second, she wished he would. “Rain check.” he echoed, as quietly as he could.

Then she turned around and went after Will.

Later in the plane, she sat with Ben, as far away as she could from Skandar.

***

Anna and Soumaya had always been good friends. Before the latter went to uni, the two of them frequented pubs together that one time when Anna had gone to one with Lulu and Georgie without her, she phoned her in the middle of a _Harry Potter_ pub quiz and whined how she wished she was there instead of Georgie. Her surrogate baby sister glowered at her at that and she only grinned in response.

Lately, though, they hadn't seen much of each other despite the fact that it was the summer break and Soumaya was home. Anna was busy juggling press tours and premieres and had just come back from the Slovenian premiere with Will. She knew Soumaya understood that, which was why they also hadn't been able to talk even in the phone. Although, that hadn't been able to stop Soumaya before when she was still promoting _Wardrobe_ and had once phoned her in the middle of an MTV interview.

So when Anna's phone lit up in the middle of a _Doctor Who_ marathon and Soumaya's named popped up in the screen, she couldn't help but be intrigued.

_he's done._

There was only one _he_.

She stared down at her phone for the whole thirty seconds before responding.

_GCSEs?_

The reply was almost immediate that Anna couldn't help but wonder why Soumaya was texting her when she could easily ring her from next door. And it was not as if she didn’t know Anna was home; her car was visibly parked out in the driveway.

_yes. picked him up from his last exam myself. he's there._

She was out then, probably with her uni friends. Anna hesitated, thinking for a response. Why would Soumaya inform her that he was finished with his exams? But then her phone buzzed again and when she looked down, a single word was written there.

 _go_.

She didn't even pause to wonder if Soumaya knew about whatever was happening between her and Skandar (knowing her nosiness when it comes to her baby brother, Anna had a feeling.) She instead scrolled through her contacts for pizza delivery.

About half an hour later, in gray oversized shirt and sweatpants, she found herself standing outside his porch, a box of pizza balanced in one hand, and the other poised over the doorbell.

She knew he could have left and celebrated the end of his GCSE with some school friends but she had this strong feeling he was inside.

Adrenaline was running in her veins and her hands were shaking. She took a long, steadying breath then pressed on the button.

She heard a muffled thump, like a body falling from the couch to the floor, and some swearing. His parents were out then, because Anna knew he would never swear if his parents were around. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or more nervous.

He froze when he saw her. He was barefooted, wearing a faded maroon shirt and dark blue boxers. His now slightly long hair was a mess. Her mind flashed back to all those moments in New Zealand and Prague and Poland when she’d sleep in his trailer because Ben and Will were noisily binge-watching _The Office_ in the trailer next to hers and she'd wake up the next morning with this same image greeting her.

“Hey,” his voice was of forced casualness and she didn’t know whether to smile or not.

“Soumaya texted that you've finished your GCSE so... how about that bottle of rum?” She opted to smile, hoping her voice didn't convey the nervousness she had been trying to tramp out the second she stepped foot in that porch. “I brought the pizza as promised.” She half-heartedly raised the pizza box.

He didn't answer. He merely looked at her, expression unreadable. And then...

“What are you doing here?”

His eyes were dark and tired and she didn't know why but her panic receded because of it. “We've known each other for such a long time, Skan, and--”

“I like you.”

Her lips flew shut.

“More than a bestfriend. More than a surrogate sister.”

His voice was calm, serious, and monotonous.

Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She summoned the ever-confident actress Anna Popplewell inside her, but something seemed to lodge itself in her throat.

“And I think -- no, I _know_ that you like me, too.” he said, challenging her for a denial that never came. “Why are you holding back? Is it because I'm younger than you?”

“Skan--”

“I’m tired of all the rain checks.” he continued, cutting her off. “Stuff has already happened and I know you wanted them as much I did. We could be great together, Anna. But you -- you're --”

He uncrossed his arms (she didn't remember him crossing them) and ran a hand through his dark hair, making them messier. “We could be amazing.” he said softly.

She shifted her weight from foot to foot, unable to look away from his burning gaze. He sighed, running a hand through his hair again. And in that moment, he looked more handsome to her than he ever had.

Mind filled with charged static, she counted her heartbeats. Then she took a long, slow breath. “Let me in, Skan.”

He didn't budge away from the doorway to let her pass. Instead, he took a step closer to her. “If you come in,” his voice was low, his eyes smoldering. “You aren't leaving. You know that, right?”

He was challenging her, trying to see if she’d cower at the intensity of his gaze, if she’d back down and go home. But she met his gaze, unblinking. His words, his confession, resounded in her head and it made her shiver despite the summer heat. She thumped down her erratic heartbeats, however, then swallowed back her nerves.

“Let me in.” she repeated, matching his low tone, matching his smoldering gaze.

For the next five seconds, Skandar didn’t move. If he was taken aback with her boldness, he didn’t show it. His dark gaze was fixed down on hers, unblinking, and she was suddenly aware of how tall he was now compared to the last time she had seen him. He then swallowed, lips pursed, before stepping aside to let her walk past him into his living room. He slammed the door close behind him. She set the pizza box on the coffee table and ascended the few flight of stairs to his bedroom, not bothering to turn around, not bothering to ask for permission.

When she was inside and facing his bed, he heard the bedroom door shut behind her and a lock being turned in. She turned around and he was walking towards her slowly, every step bringing him closer. His burning gaze was still on hers and it was okay because she wasn't planning on looking away, either.

When he was about a breath away, he took his shirt off in one quick move, eyes never leaving hers, the scant space between them maintained. Her eyes rove around his gangly frame for a few heartbeats before bringing them back to his smoldering gaze. Then she reached back and, with a few tugs, pulled her shirt off and tossed it aside. She shivered, and it wasn’t because of the summer air blowing through the open window and into her bare skin. She could see his Adam's apple move in his throat and she had to stop herself from biting her lips. She heard his intake of breath and she felt her own heartbeat race.

He took a step forward and she took a step back. And then another step forward and then another step back. Until the backs of her calves hit his bed. When he was inches from him, so close that she could hear his raging heartbeat, he reached over and tugged her hair tie off, letting her hair fall. And then his arm was around her bare waist, laying her back to the mattress. She bend one leg at the knee to bring him closer. He inhaled sharply.

She reached up, resting a hand on the nape of his neck.

“Kiss me.” she said.

She didn't need to ask twice.

It was slow and soft and sweet, like they were exploring unfamiliar terrain, contrasting greatly with the crazed urgency of their previous kisses. Her hand was steady against his neck, his palms resting on her waist.

And then Skandar made a sound in the back of his throat, something between a moan and a growl. Suddenly, his mouth became insistent, his kisses scorching. His tongue pressed needily into her lips, begging for entrance, which Anna didn't deny him.

She ran her fingertips on his back, fingernails scraping against the skin there. She felt his hands trailing up her side as his mouth left open kisses to her jaw down to her neck, felt his fingers pulling the straps of her bra down her shoulders, and she couldn't stop the moan leaving her lips. Her own fingers scrambled to find purchase in his bare back as she curled a leg around his shin.

She tugged at his boxers. He pulled at her sweatpants. And when they could finally feel every square inch of each other’s skin, Skandar pulled back from the kiss. His lips were wet and swollen. He was panting and his slightly long hair was tousled messily over his dark brown eyes. He was, to Anna, the epitome of desire.

“Is this... it?” he asked her.

She smiled up at him through her eyelashes, looking straight at his brown eyes burning with want. “This is it.”

He looked down at her, eyes dark and deep and endless. And in that very second, when everything seemed to go still and waited with bated breath for the two of them to cross the line where there was no going back, when the resolution to this _whatever_ between them that sparked with all those years together and burned bright that afternoon in her living room was inches away from being realized, she knew that all roads led to here.

Anna tugged Skandar back to her and then -- then he was pressing her into the mattress, again and again and again, until his face was buried in the crook of her neck and her lips fell open in a silent scream of pleasure.

***

When Skandar arrived at the party tent late and found his birthday party already in full swing, he didn't mind one bit. Although, he couldn't help but feel amused.

“I thought a birthday party couldn't start without the birthday boy?” he asked, twisting the yellow lid off the bottle of blue drink he was holding. Some called it death juice but he doubted if that was really its name.

“He _is_ the birthday boy,” Will P. glanced at Georgie.

“He should've gotten here earlier, then.” Georgie deadpanned, taking a sip from her iced tea.

“Easy for you to say,” Skandar said. “You didn’t have to shoot a scene where you're dangling off a dragon's claw.”

“Details,” she replied dismissively.

Within a half-hour, the party tent was full with the cast and crew. All the faces blurred together as they came up to him and greeted him. Though Michael's booming “Happy birthday, Skandar!” would be etched into his memory forever.

Skandar was chatting with Ben and Will P. when he was pulled roughly into the arms of a smiling William Moseley.

“My baby brother has grown another year older!” he shouted to the whole tent, bringing almost all the people's attention to them, much to Skandar's embarrassment. Will merely laughed at his stricken expression.

“You're here.” Skandar tilted his head. He was sure Will was scheduled to arrive the next day for the shooting of his cameo scene.

“Of course, I'm here.” Will pretended to be shock at his question. “You didn't actually think you were gonna turn seventeen without your surrogate brother, did you?”

“If my surrogate brother is annoyingly loud, I won’t mind.”

And then Ben came, having just finished shooting his last scene for the day, and engulfed Skandar in a bear hug. “Happy birthday, Skandalous.”

Georgie shot Will P. a look. “There goes another annoyingly loud surrogate brother.”

Will P. laughed and pulled a drink from his glass of rum.

Ben looked from Will to Georgie then to Skandar. “Where's the fourth Pevensie? Isn't Anna coming?”

Skandar was pouring death juice into his glass when Will replied, “Dunno. She's not answering her phone. Maybe she's holed up in another drama rehearsal?”

“At the start of the school term?” Georgie snorted.

Will shrugged. “Who knows.”

“But you're scheduled to shoot your cameo tomorrow.”

“Maybe she's on his way.” Ben said suggestively.

Skandar merely smiled through his glass as he took a drink. The death juice actually tasted alright.

“So, Skandalous,” Will P. patted his shoulder, sidling up to him. “When's your girlfriend getting here?”

Will's head snapped towards Skandar at once. Georgie went oooh like the middle schooler she was. Ben merely rolled his eyes. It was no secret he didn't believe Skandar was in a relationship.

“Skandy has a girlfriend?” Will's expression was of genuine shock and Skandar had to fight the urge to laugh.

“Well, he's always talking and texting with someone in his phone.” Will P. said.

“And smiling like an idiot when he thought no one was looking,” Georgie added.

“Or maybe he was only pretending.” Ben said, dryly. Georgie shoved him.

“Who is she?” Will asked, ignoring Ben's skepticism. He put his bottle of beer down on the table they were leaning into. “Do we know her?”

Skandar swirled his drank in his hand, tapping a finger against the glass. “Yes.” He allowed a mischievous smile escape his lips.

Georgie and Will P. stared at him. Even Ben seemed curious. This was the first time in three months, despite all the teasings and buggings they gave him, that Skandar actually revealed something. Now, they were intrigued.

“When's she getting here?” Georgie asked, eyes bright in excitement.

“Soon,” Skandar said, calmly and simply. The night was still young, the Australian breeze was mild and blowing through the tent entrance, and the death juice tasted really good. It was perfect.

“Uh-huh, sure she is.” Ben took a drink from his beer, back to being cynical about Skandar’s personal life.

“She is. She texted that she had trouble in the airport that's why she's running late.” Skandar shrugged. “She'll be here.”

Ben shook his head, running his thumb over the dog-eared corner of the beer bottle label. “Give it up, Skandalous. There's no picture in your phone--”

Skandar's eyebrows raised incredulously. “You touched my phone?”

“And this is even the first time we actually heard anything about her. So--”

Before Ben could finish his sentence though, Will called, “Anna!” and then he was rushing to the tent entrance. Ben and Georgie followed him. Only Will P. remained by Skandar's side; he hadn't met Anna yet.

Will gave Anna a huge bear hug and a kiss on the forehead. Ben hugged her so tight he lifted her off the ground. When Georgie hugged her for a solid minute while exclaiming how she was almost as tall as her now, Anna caught his eyes over the younger girl's shoulder. He grinned back at her, and she raised her eyebrows. Sensing the question, Skandar shook his head, still smirking. He tossed back the remaining blue drink from his glass.

It seemed like all of the people in the tent had their attention on Anna. Some of them, who worked with her in the previous two films, rushed to her and greeted her. Even Michael went over to her and shook her hand.

When Ben, Will, and Georgie brought Anna to their table (finally, Skandar thought), Will P. stepped forward and thrusted out his hand. “Will Poulter. Nice to meet you, Anna.”

“Oh, yes. You’re playing Eustace. The pleasure is all mine.” she smiled at him, taking his hand. “Skandar has told me a lot about you.”

Confused, Will P. tilted his head towards Skandar. “He has? How?”

Skandar’s expression was amused. “Phone, genius.” he laughed, but he didn’t wait for a reply. He leaned away from the table and stepped closer to Anna, who was also looking at Will P. and chuckling, face beaming. Georgie was saying, “You two have been _talking_?” but Skandar seemed unable to hear her.

Immediately, Anna’s eyes turned to him. “Happy birthday, Skandar.” she said, her amused grin morphing into that soft, close-lipped smile he loved. She reached inside her purse and gave him a rectangular wrapped box.

His smile became crooked as he took the box. It was slightly heavy. “Can I open it?”

She shrugged. “If you want.”

“I definitely do.” He tore the wrapping paper and pried open the plain black box inside. It was a Lebanese flag traveling mug.

There were a lot of wowing and aahing around him (it sounded to him like about half of the room had their attention trained on them) but Skandar ignored them all because he was looking at Anna and her hazel blue eyes gleamed anxiously, like she was worried about his reaction. “This is...” he trailed off, catching his breath. “How am I supposed to top this on your birthday?”

“Dunno.” She shrugged casually, though she seemed incredibly relieved. “Just... come home and surprise me.” Her voice was gentle, almost quiet, her gaze soft yet unwavering as she stared straight to his eyes.

Skandar stepped even closer to Anna, into her personal space. “You are amazing.” he breathed. Then he kissed her; in front of the crowd, in front of the crew they both knew almost half of their lives. Whistles and cheers (from what sounded like half the tent) erupted from around them. Skandar immediately thought Anna would pull away; she wasn't into public displays of affection. But her fingers trailed up to the back of his neck and into his hair, pulling him closer. He smiled against her lips.

When they broke apart, he kept an arm around her waist.

“Everyone,” he turned to the whole tent, at the countless pairs of eyes turned to the birthday celebrant and the newcomer. “I believe you've met my girlfriend, Anna?”

The rest of the room was baffled yet smiling at the young couple but Will, Georgie, and Ben were gaping at them. Even Will P.'s eyebrows raised in surprise.

Anna's hazel blue eyes danced with amusement. “It's gonna take them a while, don't you think so, darling?”

“Oh, definitely,” Skandar smirked at the four nonplussed expressions directed at them. “Do you want a drink?” he looked back at her. He was five inches taller than her now and he smirked more widely.

“Don't mind if I do.” She laced her fingers through his and casually leaned against him. Skandar felt something warm tightened in his chest and he pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

When the others regained their senses about three minutes later and simultaneously started to bombard them with questions (later in his trailer, Anna would say that years and years of dealing with press had finally cracked Will and Georgie and then Skandar would laugh and agree) he didn’t let go. Neither did she.

Not even once.

**Author's Note:**

> The cab scene to the Paris hotel was inspired by _thisissirius_ ' heartachingly beautiful **.fingertip to painted lip** in livejournal.


End file.
